Thread Thread (thr[e^]d), n. [OE. threed, [thorn]red, AS.
[thorn]r[=ae]d; akin to D. draad, G. draht wire, thread, OHG.
dr[=a]t, Icel. [thorn]r[=a][eth]r a thread, Sw. tr[*a]d, Dan.
traad, and AS. [thorn]r[=a]wan to twist. See {Throw}, and cf.
{Third}.]
1. A very small twist of flax, wool, cotton, silk, or other
fibroussubstance, drawn out to considerable length; a
compound cord consisting of two or more single yarns
doubled, or joined together, and twisted; also, one fiber
of a cord composed of multiple fibers.
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2. A filament of any substance, as of glass, gold or silver;
a filamentous part of an object, such as a flower; a
component fiber of any or of any fibrous substance, as of
bark.
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3. The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the
rib. See {Screw}, n., 1.
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{Thread needle}, a game in which children stand in a row,
joining hands, and in which the outer one, still holding
his neighbor, runs between the others; -- called also
{thread the needle}.
[1913 Webster]

Look at other dictionaries:

thread herring — noun 1. : gizzard shad 2. : either of two herrings: a. : a herring (Opisthonema oglinum) of the West Indies and east coast of the United States having the last ray of the dorsal fin long and slender b. : a very similar fish (O. libertate) of the… … Useful english dictionary